The First Encounter
by Eternal Spaz
Summary: When Ichigo was dealing with his Mom’s death he meets Grimmjaw’s soul. Takes place before Grimmjaw becomes a hollow. Oneshot.


_**Okay! I'm really excited about my second story! This is just an idea I've had rattling around in my head for a while, so I decided to write it.**_

_**Summary: When Ichigo was dealing with his Mom's death he meets Grimmjaw's soul.**_

_**WARNING! This will probably seem like Grimmjaw is OOC since he is not yet a hollow, but just your regular soul. Also this takes place when Ichigo is nine, shortly after his mom died. Also, I do not own bleach. Tear**_

_**Now, let's GET ON WITH IT! **_

Grimmjaw sat on a grassy hill that sloped down into a river bank. It had been about a year since he had died, but he still hadn't "moved on" to Heaven or Hell. To make his worries worse, the chain that dangled from his chest was slowly getting shorter and shorter.

He was silently contemplating his death when something orange and obnoxiously bright caught his eye. He looked over to see a little elementary school kid walking along the river bank. By now he had learned humans can't see him so he simply watched the kid as he walked down the bank.

But then something strange happened.

The kid stopped in front of Grimmjaw and stared directly at him. He blinked and then asked "Hey, kid. Can you see me?" The kid slowly nodded and scowled as if it was obvious that anyone could see him.

Then the kid just continued walking down the bank.

Grimmjaw called out after him. "Hey, kid! Come back here a sec, will ya?" The kid paused and then slowly turned to walk back towards the teal haired man.

"What's your name, kid?" He asked.

"Ichigo." The kid replied.

"Hey, Ichigo, shouldn't ya be in school?" From what Grimmjaw could tell it was not yet summer vacation and the kid did have a back pack with him, yet it was too late for him to be heading to school and too early for him to be coming home.

Ichigo shook his head. "No." He answered calmly and began to turn around again but was stopped by one of Grimmjaw's hands.

"Why not?" the teal haired man asked.

"Because," the kid calmly stated again, "I'm looking for my Momma. They told me that we've lost her and she has moved on to better place, but…" The kid's voice finally caught and Grimmjaw could see tears beginning to form in the boy's big brown eyes. "But…" Tears began to fall from the boy's eyes. His knees wobbled and he plopped down onto the grass, sobbing.

Grimmjaw gently reached over and pulled the sobbing boy into his chest. He began to stroke his fingers through the boy's spiky orange locks, trying to calm him down.

They sat there until Ichigo's sobs turned into whimpering hiccups. Grimmjaw gently reached over and wiped away the tears that still clung to Ichigo's cheeks and lashes.

"Hey, Ichigo, listen." Grimmjaw said, shifting his weight so that teal eyes could connect with watery brown. "Death is a part of life that everyone has to experience at some time or another, and it really isn't that bad. You know that you are going to see your momma again some day, right." Ichigo nodded, rubbing at one of his eyes as he gave a soft sniffle. "So you want to live a great life and be a brave boy so that when you see your momma again she can smile and be proud of her son, okay?"

Ichigo sniffled and nodded again. "Okay."

Ichigo leaned back down into Grimmjaw's chest and Grimmjaw gently encircled his arms around the boy into a comforting hug.

Grimmjaw began to softly hum a soothing tune that he remembered from when he was alive. Ichigo soon fell asleep, softly snoring, against Grimmjaw's chest.

Grimmjaw found Ichigo's address in his back pack, and carried the sleeping boy on his back home. He entered what he hoped was Ichigo's room through the window and tenderly laid him on the bed. Brushing some of the spiky orange bangs to the side, the man leaned over and brushed his lips against the boy's forehead.

Walking back over to the window he turned around one last time to whisper "It was nice meetin' ya, Ichigo."

And with a rustle of fabric, he was gone.

An hour later, Isshin walked into his son's room to find him fast asleep on his bed with the window wide open.

A week later, Ichigo returned to school.

Two months later, Grimmjaw's chain had completely caroused, turning him into a hollow.

_**Ta-dah! I hoped yall liked it!**_

_**Please, please, please, PLEASE! Review.**_

_**I really liked this story and I would love to know what you thought of it!**_

_**Happy Holidays!**_

_**Topaz**_


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